As far as constitutional rights were concerned for gays, the committee felt constitutional rights of military personnel reflect the long lasting principle that in the U.S. Armed Forces, the mission is the first priority, the unit is the second priority, and the individual is the third priority. For service members in training or on operational deployments, their ship, their tent, or their barracks is their home. Military men and women do not have the right to choose with whom they will share this home. Therefore, in the committee's view, they recognize the unique nature of military service and make sure our military leaders are able to maintain the high standards of moral, good order, discipline, and unit togetherness that are the essence for military capability. .
Homosexuality in the military is a very difficult and emotional issue, as every man and woman in the country has the right to be respected. Military services must not allow or tolerate any mistreatment of any individual. Yet they do. Our constitution cherishes individual rights and freedoms. Yet for fifty years the military would not even let homosexuals in the service, and military service is just one of the ways homosexuals are oppressed. For example, Byrne Fone states that President George Bush, Vice President Dan Quayle, Representative Newt Gingrich, and other leading republicans denounced the "immorality" and "deviance" of homosexuality. They also condemned Democratic candidate Bill Clinton for courting the gay and lesbian community. The 1992 Republican Party's platform not only supported to continue the ban on homosexuals in the military, they also felt it was fair to denounce civil rights protection for gays at federal, state, and local levels.
Homosexuals are not only oppressed, but also harassed. The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) is an independent legal watchdog and legal aid group. It publishes an annual report on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
